Get a world-class education with the solid Christian foundation you’re looking for at Liberty University. Here, you’ll gain the values, knowledge, and skills you’ll need for success in every aspect of life.

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Get your associate or bachelor’s degree here on the Liberty University campus. Choose from more than 200 undergraduate residential programs in a wide variety of fields. You can also tailor your degree and target your area of interest through our specialized minors and certificates.

Get a world-class education with the solid Christian foundation you’re looking for at Liberty University. Here, you’ll gain the values, knowledge, and skills you’ll need for success in every aspect of life.

Tickets & Merchandise

Get your associate or bachelor’s degree here on the Liberty University campus. Choose from more than 200 undergraduate residential programs in a wide variety of fields. You can also tailor your degree and target your area of interest through our specialized minors and certificates.

Steve Warren, Ph.D.

Licensed Counseling

Mark Myers, Ph.D.

Dr. Myers is a native of Colorado and a Veteran of the U.S. Navy. He has served as a Pastor in many different capacities over the years and holds a Masters in Religious Education as well as a Ph.D. in Professional Counseling. His clinical experience includes local court appointed work with adolescents and individual and family counseling at the acute in-patient psychiatric care facility of Virginia Baptist Hospital. Dr. Myers has served as a Dept. Chair with the Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies graduate programs (both online and residential). His research interests include Emotion Regulation, Religious Coping and Mindfulness.

Elias Moitinho, Ph.D., LPC-S, LPC, LMFT, BCPCC

Dr. Moitinho has many years of ministry and teaching experience having served in various roles such as pastor, counselor, seminary professor, and director of a Christian counseling center. He is interested in multicultural counseling focusing specifically on the Hispanic/Latino population, the use of Scriptures in counseling, marriage counseling, and family ministry.

Steve Johnson, Ph.D., Th.M.

Steve is Associate Professor and department chair for the online program. He began working with Liberty online in 2006 as an adjunct faculty and three years as an IM. For 17 years he was the Director of Behavioral Science at Valley Baptist Family Practice Residency program in Harlingen, TX, a Christ-centered training program for family physicians. Prior to his position in Harlingen, he served 5 years as the Director of Counseling services and Assistant professor of pastoral ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary. His areas of interest include Medical Family Therapy, Marital therapy and online education.

Patti Hinkley, Ed.D.

Dr. Hinkley has been with Liberty University for over 27 years and has been involved in administration, counselor education, and mental health counseling. Her teaching and research interests include women’s issues, counselor skills training, addictions, life coaching, and integration of spirituality and mental health counseling.

Kevin Van Wynsberg, Ph.D.

Kevin Van Wynsberg has worked for the Liberty University in a variety of capacities since 2007. He has clinical experiencing working as an in-home counselor and has served as a counselor in a Christian outpatient agency.

Mary Deacon, Ph.D.

Dr. Deacon has specialized in counseling research and career counseling. Dr. Deacon was also part of a research team focusing on middle and high school career development and presented research findings at national conferences. Her teaching and research interests include the areas of girls' and women's career development, gender equity, and multicultural competency.

David Jenkins, Psy.D.

Dr. Jenkins has over 20 years of clinical experience in a variety of settings both public and private, mainly in outpatient settings. He has worked primarily with adults and adolescents in individual, marital and family therapy. His research and teaching interests include professional ethics, addiction, integration of Christian faith and clinical practice, as well as marital/identity/gender issues related to the image of God. - Biography

Melvin Pride, Ph.D.

Dr. Pride has over a decade of experience as a licensed counselor in a private clinical practice. A former business executive, he is also a licensed and ordained minister, with specialized training in church conflict resolution. His areas of emphasis in counseling include individuals, marriage and family, and working with pastors. His interests include spirituality, interpersonal relationships, multiculturalism, and family system dynamics.

Laurel Shaler, Ph.D.

Dr. Shaler (Regent University) is a Nationally Certified Counselor and Licensed Social Worker. She is a former psychotherapist with the Department of Veterans Affairs where she specialized in the treatment of PTSD and anger. Her clinical and research interests include military/veteran issues, crisis and trauma, adoption and attachment, pre-marital/marital work, and the emotional well-being of women. Dr. Shaler is an active member of a numerous professional organizations and was inducted into Chi Sigma Iota, an international honors society for counselors. Additionally, Dr. Shaler speaks and writes about the intersection of faith, culture, and emotional well-being (www.drlaurelshaler.com).

Gary Sibcy, Ph.D.

Director of PhD Program in Counseling
Director of Research & Evaluation Center

Dr. Sibcy has been in private clinical practice for the past decade. His research interests include development a new treatment protocol for treating disruptive behaviors in children, attachment theory and interpersonal neurobiology, personality disorders and family development. - Biography

Lisa Sosin, Ph.D.

Lisa S. Sosin, Ph.D., L.P.C., L.L.P. is the Director of the Ph.D. Program in Counselor Education and Supervision and Associate Professor in the Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies at Liberty University. Dr. Sosin has over 28 years of clinical and teaching experience and is licensed as both a professional counselor and psychologist. Dr. Sosin’s clinical practice includes the assessment and treatment of children, adults, couples, and families; as well as teaching, supervising, public speaking, and consultation to clinicians in training, physicians, educators, organizations, and clergy. Dr. Sosin has developed graduate curriculum and community programs covering diverse subjects including qualitative research, family development and functioning, evidence based practice, and clinical excellence and has published in the areas of psychotherapeutic process, emotional development, burnout, and ethics. Dr. Sosin’s primary research interests include the integration of spirituality and empirically supported interventions, qualitative research related to counseling practice, and emotion regulation. Dr. Sosin has been happily married to her best friend, David, for 28 years and has two wonderful sons, Tim (22) and Josh (16).

Full-time Faculty

Please see the Ph.D. handbook for the most up-to-date list of faculty research interests and biographies.

Jeanne Brooks, Ph.D.

Dr. Jeanne Brooks has a PhD in psychology working in the field for over 25 years. She was in full time private practice for over ten years. Her specialty areas were working with troubled adolescents, alcohol and drug addiction, as well as helping children and families adjust to divorce. Her passion for working in crisis area and trauma victims began while working with children caught in high conflict divorce and the trauma related symptoms. Dr. Brooks currently teaches at Liberty University with her specialty focus of crisis and trauma. She is presently working with a research team focusing on trauma and human sex trafficking. She is leading a research project on assessing anti sex trafficking organizations to determine best practices. She recognizes that current research on the trauma brain has great treatment implications for the human sex trafficked clientele. Finally, she sees great hope in the area of neurofeedback and the treatment implications for sex trafficked victims.

Denise Daniel, Ph.D.

Dr. Daniel is involved in instruction, student advisement and research of study efficacy in both online and traditional classroom. Additionally, her research interests include online support groups, online therapy, women's issues and development.

Nicole DiLella, Ph.D.

Fernando Garzon, Psy.D.

Dr. Garzon's vast experience include practicing as a clinical psychologist, directing the provider services department of a managed care insurance company, being an associate pastor for a Latino church, and doing pastoral care ministry. His research interests focus on investigating Christian interventions in counseling and evaluating counselor education practices in spirituality.

Victor Hinson, Ed.D.

Dr. Hinson has over 16 years experience as a senior pastor of churches, mentoring individuals, teaching groups and facilitating small group therapy in churches and the community. His research interests include clinical mental health counseling, group counseling, marriage and family therapy, and adult children of alcoholics. - Biography

Anita Knight, Ph.D.

Dr. Knight had a variety of experience in both clinical and educational settings. She has worked on the research team for the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity (ISSI) and presented on the topic of the etiology of male homosexuality. Additionally she has developed an effective curriculum for overcoming Math anxiety. Her research interests include emotional intelligence, effective counseling skills training and evidence based interventions in pre-marital and family therapy.

Joy Mwendwa, Ph.D.

Dr. Mwendwa served as a college and community counselor for seven years. She has participated in different international counseling institutes and service opportunities in Ireland, Malawi, and Kenya. Her research interests include qualitative and indigenous research methodology, the profession of counseling, multicultural competence, and the supervisory relationship.

John C. Thomas, Ph.D.

Dr. Thomas's professional include Employee Assistance Consultant (EAC) with DuPont for 12 years as well as private practice, clinical director of the Lexington/Richland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council in Columbia, South Carolina. He has authored many publications as well as two curriculum series with Hatherleigh Press.

Fred Volk, Ph.D.

Suzanne E. Mikkelson, Ph.D.

Dr. Suzanne E. Mikkelson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with nearly 20 years of counseling experience in both agency settings and private practice. Her counseling ministry has primarily served military service members and their families. Her areas of clinical expertise include clinical supervision, trauma recovery, adultery recovery, military and veteran issues, and couple and family conflict. Dr. Mikkelson is an EMDRIA Approved Consultant in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing.

Meagan Jones, Ph.D.

Dr. Meagan Jones is a licensed professional counselor in Virginia and North Carolina and has been practicing counseling in a variety of settings for over 8 years, and has been teaching for 2 years. She received her Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling from Columbia International University and her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University where she focused much of her studies on spiritual formation, crisis and trauma, and sexuality. Dr. Jones specializes in crisis and trauma, sexual trauma, healthy sexuality, marriage and family counseling, Christian counseling, women’s issues, and pre and post adoption counseling. Dr. Jones is very active in the anti-sex trafficking movement and has conducted research on the treatment of trauma resulting from sex trafficking. Her research interests include sex trafficking, sexual trauma, healthy sexuality, spiritual formation and professional identity.